עַד־מָתַי֙ תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔ין הַבַּ֖ת הַשֹּֽׁובֵבָ֑ה כִּֽי־בָרָ֨א יְהוָ֤ה חֲדָשָׁה֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ נְקֵבָ֖ה תְּסֹ֥ובֵֽב גָּֽבֶר׃ ס
Until when will you turn away, O backsliding daughter? For YHWH has created a new thing in the land: a female shall surround a man.”
Morphology
- עַד־מָתַי (ʿad-matai) – Root: עד + מתי; Form: Preposition + interrogative; Translation: “Until when”; Notes: Poses a rhetorical question of duration.
- תִּתְחַמָּקִין (titḥammaqin) – Root: חמק; Form: Hitpael imperfect 2nd person feminine singular with Nun paragogicum; Translation: “will you turn away”; Notes: The reflexive stem conveys deliberate evasion or avoidance.
- הַבַּת (ha-bat) – Root: בת; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the daughter”; Notes: Vocative use addressing Yisraʾel.
- הַשֹּׁובֵבָה (ha-shovvah) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal participle feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the backsliding [one]”; Notes: Describes spiritual unfaithfulness.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the preceding exhortation.
- בָּרָא (bara) – Root: ברא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has created”; Notes: Used of divine creation.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- חֲדָשָׁה (ḥadashah) – Root: חדשׁ; Form: Adjective feminine singular; Translation: “a new [thing]”; Notes: Qualifies the divine act as unprecedented.
- בָּאָרֶץ (ba-arets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the land”; Notes: Locative, referring to the earthly realm.
- נְקֵבָה (neqevah) – Root: נקב; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a female”; Notes: Often used in contrast to “male” (זָכָר).
- תְּסֹובֵב (tesovev) – Root: סבב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall surround”; Notes: Can imply encircling, protecting, or wooing depending on context.
- גָּבֶר (gever) – Root: גבר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Typically denotes a strong man or warrior.